Meet the Artist Behind the Trippiest Weed Coloring Book for Adults

Melbourne, Australia-based psychedelic artist TROG art has created poster art for a range of well-known bands, including The Offspring, Slightly Stoopid, Sly and the Family Stone, (həd) p.e., and many more over the course of his impressive illustration career. He even supplied the art for Berner’s popular brand Cookies SF, and counts Tommy Chong as a personal fan. On top of drawing, there’s nothing that TROG loves more than marijuana, as evident in his devoted participation with Hemp Fest, Hash Bash, and many other cannabis events.

TROG’s work is heavily inspired by the drug-friendly underground “comix” scene of the ‘60s and ’70s, and his latest endeavor encourages others to embrace his sensibility for irreverent, surreal imagery. Titled The Killer Weed Coloring Book: For Marijuana Lovers (out May 1st through Northlight Books), the project is a coloring book specifically tailored for adult stoners. On top of the 125-page coloring book, the artist is releasing The TROG 420 Pullout Poster Book this month, as well. In celebration of the popular talent’s impending books, MERRY JANE caught up TROG to why adults like to doodle and his love of cannabis.

MERRY JANE: You’ve published books before, such as The Cooked Book. How did that prepared your latest release?TROG: I’d say it kind of prepared me, however, The Cooked Book was a self-published title, and The Killer Weed Coloring Book is due for release through Northlight Books, which is an imprint of F+W Media. F+W Media have been around since 1914 so they are very established worldwide. I had a plan that 2017 would be the year I started to take my books more serious and work towards releasing a selection of them. The Killer Weed Coloring Book just blew up overnight and it hasn’t even started to circulate yet. We’re talking some of the largest book chains in USA, Canada, Australia, so that’s a whole new level. I’ve had cannabis magazines from all over the world hit me up wanting information on The Killer Weed Coloring Book and have just watched it snowball with regards to requests.

Are adults using coloring books now to relieve stress?
I’ve been told they are doing that, and that would probably explain why I’m such a chill person. I’ve been coloring for over 20 years nonstop! There has been a real demand for adult coloring books over the past few years. Before taking on The Killer Weed Coloring Book, I actually sat down and researched what was out there to see where the market was and what other people had released. I can safely say if you want a stoner-related coloring book, The Killer Weed Coloring Book smokes the rest of them. Sure, there are other stoner coloring books, but if you’re serious about your weed, then this is the one for you.